Silverwood eyes wicket landmark for Middlesex

CHRIS SILVERWOOD is back from a career-threatening injury and is as hungry for wickets as ever.

The 2008 season was a write-off for the Middlesex seamer after he broke his knee in the first county match of the campaign against Glamorgan at Lord's.

A major operation followed to remove the shattered bone and trim the cartilage, and if that wasn't bad enough the knee had to be re-fractured to help it grow back properly!

After 16 seasons in the game, such an injury would have persuaded most 34-year-olds to hang up their boots.

But the former Yorkshire and England quickie insists the thought never entered his head.

And what's more, he reckons the prospect of reaching a famous wicket-taking landmark should keep him running in for a few more summers yet.

He said: "I never once thought 'why am I still in the game?' Cricket is my passion. If anyone has got any doubts as to why I'm still here, they'll see the results this year.

"The long-term aim of 1,000 career wickets is one of the things driving me on. That's in all competitions of course.

"I'd have to play forever to get 1,000 first-class wickets. I'd have to be 62 and still running in!

"But 1,000 wickets would be a good achievement, especially for a seam bowler. Spinners do it regularly, but they bowl more overs than we do. If I can play for another three or four seasons I should-n't be far off that target."

The tee-total paceman needs another 151 wickets to reach his magic figure.

However, in his absence last season, youngsters Steven Finn and Danny Evans broke into the first XI, while Tim Murtagh proved one of the most consistent performers in the County Championship.

But try telling Silverwood he might not get first use of the ripe cherry.

He said: "If we play four seamers I'd expect it would be Alan Richardson and I to open the bowling to give us a little bit of experience up front.

"But someone is going to pick up a niggle during the season, and the younger players have got to come in and step up to the mark."

Silverwood headed off on Monday with the rest of the Middlesex squad for a pre-season tournament in the UAE, with matches against the host nation, Yorkshire and arch rivals Surrey.